Chapter 9
PJ stared at the words that came through on her phone display moments before.
Pretty Pru? Are you having a good morning now that the world knows you’re a whore? Whores who spread their legs have to pay the price someday, Pretty Pru. Or did you plan to lie to the world forever? Did you think you could hide what you truly are from everyone?
Anger flashed hot and strong through PJ, past the fear and panic she was feeling. Who was this person and what reason did they have to do this to her?
What do you want? Why are you doing this?She typed and sent the text back.
It was a long time before a response came back, and she had begun to wonder if the person would even answer her.
I want the world to know the truth. To know how much you’ve lied to everyone all these years. But, if I think you’ve paid your debt and are truly repentant, perhaps I won’t tell your final secret.
PJ waited but nothing more came. She threw her phone across the room. Not hard enough to damage it, but enough for a satisfyingthunkto sound through the room. She walked from the room without picking it up.
She should have turned it off after watching the third interview Kurt Tollison had done since the news of her and Jimmy broke. He was getting more than a little mileage out of this whole thing.
At least, he’d been sympathetic to her in his interviews. He put on his best serious face and told people he was wrecked by the news. No, she hadn’t ever told him. Yes, he would have supported her if he’d known what happened.
Because he was such a good guy like that.
Lydia had let PJ know Kurt had reached out again, wanting her phone number. He said he wanted to call and let PJ know he was there for her.
It wasn’t hard to imagine how Erika would react to him trying to get in touch with PJ. She’d always been so threatened by PJ and the idea that Kurt might go back to her.
It always made PJ’s head spin to think about women who dated someone who’d cheated like that. Who would want a man who had cheated on someone else to be with you? You’d have to be an idiot not to realize if they did it with you, they would do it again.
* * *
Gabe and PJ walked across the back lawn and through the wooden gate in the stone wall that split Jack and Kelly’s property from Gabe’s. PJ felt almost wistful at the idea of living so close to such good friends. Of course, Gabe didn’t live here full time. His life was almost as much in motion as hers. But, at least he seemed to be starting to put down some roots. She had no stability anywhere in sight, but the more she saw of the life Gabe was beginning to build for himself here, the more she thought about making changes in her own life.
“So, if you do end up selling your hotels, is this where you’ll come? You’ll live here full time?” PJ asked as they walked up Jack and Kelly’s lawn toward the back of the house.
“Yeah. I think so. I like it here and I have more ties here than anywhere else,” he answered, pulling her hand into his.
“What about your family?” she asked. She realized they’d never talked about his family. She had no idea if he had brothers or sisters or was close to his parents, but she didn’t miss the sadness in his eyes at her question.
“My mom’s in a home about an hour from here. She needs round-the-clock care,” he said.
PJ squeezed his hand and he continued.
“My dad and sister died in a car accident when I was in college. It was the day before my sister’s high school graduation and my mom…. She just never really recovered from that.”
PJ shook her head. “I don’t know how anyone could recover from that,” she said and his eyes met hers.
Her breath caught at the intensity of the look in his eyes, but then the moment passed, as quickly as it had come and she felt Gabe break the connection.
PJ was about to press him further, but he laughed and pointed across the lawn, clearly not wanting to talk about his family anymore. She wanted to tell him how sorry she was, but would the words really offer any comfort? Most likely just letting him drop the conversation would be best.
“Not only did Jack get Maddie pony rides for her birthday, he’s got a bouncy castle and jugglers. Man, what will he do when she turns three? Or sixteen?”
PJ laughed and looked across the lawn at the large spread before them. There were kids and adults everywhere, some jumping and playing in the pool, others fisting cupcakes and hot dogs. Apparently, they weren’t going to wait until the birthday song had been sung to dig into the sweets. PJ grinned. She wouldn’t mind a cupcake.
Gabe’s thumb moved back and forth over her hand and she felt her stomach jump. He’d made it clear the other night that he didn’t want anything more than friendship but apparently the jumping beans in her stomach hadn’t gotten the hint.
She was hyperaware of how she looked, what she was wearing, and whether he might find her attractive. Enough so that she had a hard time focusing when several of the guests made their way over and introductions were made.
She tried to remember if it was Andrew and Jill who lived up the street, or Chad and Jennie. Jennie held a beautiful baby girl who twisted in her arms, reaching for the ground.